A quick and simple Foxtail(Millet)Upma recipe

 Foxtail millets have been used from ancient times in India but I hadn’t heard of it until a while back.

A couple of months back while discussing food and food ingredients the topic had suddenly turned to millets. But the one millet that caught my attention was the foxtail millet. Yes, it was the name that was intriguing.

So just like anyone does the first thing I did a Google search. I wanted to see how foxtail millet looked like.

The moment I saw the image, I was like ” Kabutaro Ka khana😱” Oh yes, cause all the while I used to feed it to pigeons at the chanawala.

I was more curious about the name, still am. So I landed up researching more and more on this millet. Authentic studies, age-old literature, recipe books, the seniors of family. I practically harassed everyone for this millet.

Other names:

This millet is called by different names Kangni(Hindi), Thinai (Tamil), Korra(Kanada), etc.

Nutritional Content

It is high in calories, high in fibre, and rich in calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and other nutrients. It is a powerhouse of energy. The best part, it’s gluten-free.

Purchasing

Not all groceries keep it. Keep a picture handy.

Cooking:

Unlike any other food, foxtail millet takes a long time to cook. So if you are looking for something quick, this is not it.  Make it on a day when you have time.

Foxtail Upma

Ingredients

Foxtail millet-1 cup

Onion–1(finely chopped)

Tomatoes-2medium size(finely chopped)

Peas and yellow corn -1/2 cup( boiled) each

Carrot-1 ( chopped)

Capsicum-1 chopped

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Green chillies-2

Ginger-as per your taste

Salt

Turmeric

Procedure:

• Wash the foxtail millet.
• Heat oil in a wok. Add the green chillies and mustard seeds. Once it crackles add the onions. Sautée till they turn pinkish brown.
• Add the ginger.
• Add the other vegetables. Sautee till they are slightly soft.
• Then add salt and turmeric.
• Side by side boil 2 1/2 to 3 cups of water.
• To the veggies add in the foxtail millet. Sautee it for a few minutes.
• Then pour in the boiling water and let it cook till done.

Note: Based on my experience, you can reduce the cooking time in two ways: you can dry roast the millets before use ( like you do for regular upma) or you can soak the millet in water for 15-30 mins before cooking